Box-cover opener.



PATBNTED MAY 28, 1907.

J.- JOHNSTON. BOX COVER OPENER.

APPLIOATIOK I'ILED I'EB. 9 1906.

lMm rssts PATENT. OFFICE.

JAMES JonNsToN, OF. MEDFORD, MASSACHUSETTS.

BOX-COVER OPENER-.7

1'0 a whom it ma oncern:

Be it known that I, JAMES JOHNSTON, of Medford, in the county of Middlesex and State of Massachusetts, have invented certain new and useful Im rovementsin Box- Cover Openers, of who the following is a specification. p v

' The object of this invention is to provide a simple and efficient means of removi the covers from ordinary tin boxes, general y of cylindrical form and used for various purposes. The difliculty in opening such boxes is'universally felt, and serious injury to the 1 hands often followsthe attem t.. r 5 My invention furnishes a s ort lever f u1- cru-med in bearings connected to the cover and acting by its short arm on a projection on the box to start the cover-from its normal position, after which it may be readily removed.

In the drawing Figure 1 is a side or edge view of a covered box provided with my lever de-' vice Without the spring attachment, and Fig. 3 is a perspective detail of the same. F i s. 2 and4 are vertical sections through t e complete device, the latter figure showing the position of parts when the cover is lifted. Fig 5 is a sectional detail on a larger scale.

" he numeral 6 represents the box cover, 7 the body of the box and 8 a protuberance thereon, here shown as an annular bead serving to stiffen-the box and limit the downward movement of the cover as heretofore.

9 is a thin metallic plate soldered or otherwise affixed to the outer peripheral wall of the cover, and represented as extending down to the bottom of bead or protuberance 8. At the lower part of this plate its middle portionis cut away to receive a short lever .10, while the side portions are'rolled up to form bearings 11 for the journals or pivot '12 ofsaid lever. Plate 9 has, at or near its upper edge, a hooklike projection 13 to engage the'upper coil of a suitable. spring '14. ,A corresponding hook 15 is formed on lever 10 near its ivot. The spring and these rojections or its support are not essentia to the operation of opening the cover although they tend to lift it to pro er height when it is started by the lever. T e spring also serves Specification of Letters Patent. Application filed February 9. 1906. Serial No. 300.228.

extending position, When released by the operator.

The lever 10 is preferably formed about as shown in 'Fig. 3,-its lon arm thickened or turned up terminally an its short arm duplicated or broadened and made quite short so as to engage at tip in the angle along the upper line 'of. the annular bead -8. Thus w en the long arm of the lever is raised itwill lift the cover, when the box is held fast, or depress the box when the cover is held-fast by the operator. Instead of a projection on the lever, an 'indentation'or seat may be formed, for the same the tip of such arm.

' I claim as my invention:

1'. In box cover openers, the. box body having a'peripheral projection, in combination with the cover having lever bearings beari s to normall occu a vertical osition :Ibstantial-ly p arallel v vith the sid s of the box and form u per and lower arms,

toward the side of t e box andinto engagement withsaid rojection and said lower arm being movable away from the sideof the box to cause the engagement of said up- -per arm with said projection and thereby effect the opening of the box, substantially as-described.

2. In boxcover openers, the box body having a metallic plate aflixed'thereto, in combination with a ivoted lever mounted in bearings on said pl gage such projection, and with a spring interposed .between and connected terminally to said plate and lever, for the purpose set forth.

j In testimony whereof I have affixed my signature, in presence :of two Witnesses.

V JAMES JOHNSTON.

Witnesses: A. H. SPENCER,

" A. T. PALMER.

one of the parts, to engage the short arm'of' purpose, adjacent to aflixed thereto, and a lever pivoted in SBJCl having a peripheral projection and the cover.

ate and adapted to en- Patented May 28, i907.

to return the lever to its normal, downwardly leaving the top and ottom of the box unobstructed, said upper arm being movable 

